South: Kasbahs & Desert

Ouarzazate lies south of the High Atlas at around 1,150 meters and is often called the Gateway to the Desert. The city grew during French rule as a garrison and administrative post and is now home to Atlas Studios, where many international films were filmed. Ksar Aït-Ben-Haddou lies about 30 kilometers northwest.

The Ksar Aït-Ben-Haddou is a fortified mud-brick settlement in the Ounila Valley on the old caravan route between the Sahara and Marrakesh. Since 1987, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage site. The backdrop of mud-brick kasbahs on the hillside above the river served for films like Lawrence of Arabia and Gladiator.

The Ourika Valley stretches south of Marrakech into the High Atlas, alongside its namesake river. At the end of the road lies the village of Setti Fatma, above which seven waterfalls cascade over the rocks.

Imlil is located at around 1,800 metres in the High Atlas, approximately 65 kilometres south of Marrakech, and serves as the starting point for climbing Toubkal. At 4,167 metres, it is the highest mountain in North Africa and the centrepiece of the Toubkal National Park, founded in 1942. Around the village, hiking trails lead to Berber villages and to the Sidi Chamharouch shrine, which non-Muslims are not permitted to enter.

The Dadès Gorge stretches north of Boumalne Dadès into the High Atlas, with rock walls 200 to 500 meters high above the valley floor. Famous are the red rock formations known as the Monkey Fingers and the winding road that ascends the gorge in tight hairpin bends. The valley is home to kasbahs, villages, and guesthouses.